Three Miami-based brothers, Nick, Matthew and Mark Gunia, have joined forces to create a device that allows users to make their own soaps and detergents at home, with the goal of eliminating excess plastic waste. Dubbed Cleanyst, the compact household appliance that allows users to blend their own shampoo, shower gel, handwash, liquid detergent and dishwashing liquid by simply adding water to pre-prepared sachets.

"In 2015, we were inspired by reusable bottle systems for mixing surface cleaners by diluting low viscosity concentrates," say the Gunia brothers. "Since the products you can produce this way are very limited, we set out to build a system that could blend virtually all concentrate types and fully unlock the power of mixing in reusable bottles."

The Cleanyst unit features a water jug in the rear for tap water and comes with pre-mixed sachets, made from plant based ingredients. Users simply fill up the jug, place the ingredient sachet into the device, select the function on the device's LCD display and press go.

It then warms the tap water and prepares the mixture which is discharged directly into a reusable bottle. The entire process from start to finish takes between one and three minutes, and essential oils can also be added to the blends, allowing users to personalize their homecare products to suit their personal tastes.

Users simply fill up the jug, place the ingredient sachet into the device, select the function and press go

Cleanyst

"Although sustainability is at the heart of our mission, we're also dedicated to giving you amazing products that are safe, effective, and customizable," say the brothers.

The current Cleanyst prototype weighs 12 lb (5.4 kg) and measures 16.5 in (41.9 cm) high, 8.5 in (21.6 cm) wide and 12 in (30.48 cm) deep, which should fit in your average kitchen cabinet. These dimensions and weight may alter slightly once it goes into final production.

In addition to saving money, the brothers developed the device to help reduce household plastic waste, so despite the bottles provided being made from plastic, they can be used over and over again. They've also put a system in place to recycle old ingredient sachets.

Cleanyst was recently the subject of a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, with deliveries for supporters scheduled for December this year.

Final retail price and commercial availability are yet to be announced, however, it is anticipated the appliance will cost around the US$200 mark, including two reusable bottles (12 and 16 oz/350 and 475 ml) and two soap sachets.

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Bridget is an experienced architecture, travel and design writer who has been contributing to New Atlas since 2010. Based between Melbourne and Rome, she and has a keen eye for innovative design, green technology and space saving solutions. Bridget is fluent in Italian and enjoys covering major events in Italy, including the Milan Design Week and Venice Biennale.

8 comments

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ArossJuly 5, 2019 10:37 AM

If they really want to be environmentally friendly then make the reusable bottles out of glass.

bhtooefrJuly 5, 2019 03:37 PM

...so it's the Juicero of soap?

paul314July 5, 2019 04:02 PM

Typical plastic bottle is something like 1 oz, so you're talking something like 190 saved bottles just to recoup the weight of the gadget. And that's before all the individual sachets and packaging.
Not that it's necessarily a bad idea. We use refills shipped in bulk packaging, which buys you a little improvement, but it would be wonderful if the formulators would rejigger so that you didn't need 12 pounds of mixer to add water to concentrate.

GeneralMayhemJuly 5, 2019 04:24 PM

Isn't that a repurposed juiceroo?

FabianLamaestraJuly 5, 2019 05:05 PM

You can already buy bulk size containers of your favorite dish soaps, hand soaps, hair products, and others at most retailers today. You can simply pour them into your current bottle and keep going. This 'new' system locks me into 'their' brand of soaps/chemicals. Pass.

SteveMcJuly 7, 2019 05:19 AM

So many fools fall for these gimmicky products! Already said on here; the sachets, pills, concentrates have already been available for a few years.
So, these three guys 'invent' a machine to mix powder with warm water - because we can't do that ourselves, right? How do you make a cup of instant coffee? Ah........the same way.
Total BS. Wasted plastic, defunct machine for landfill when these guys go bust, if they ever get around to producing it. Delivery by December?? No chance whatsoever. If these three chaps have the best experience in manufacturing, it will take TWO YEARS MINIMUM. And I'm pretty sure they know it.....so, they are lying from the outset.

ljaquesJuly 7, 2019 11:22 AM

Let me get this straight: You want me to pay $200 to buy a plastic machine which uses plastic bottles and sachets made of plastic in order to reduce plastic waste? And since we can't have seeping residues in the plastic we recycle, we'll have to waste pure water to rinse the sachets? Hmm. Very interesting ploy! Let us know how it works out for you.

The Green PilgrimJuly 9, 2019 11:29 AM

This looks pretty neat. I have seen concentrates before for mixing up spray cleaners, but I have never seen concentrates available for such a wide range of products, including all my bath products like shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. I guess the mixer helps mix those types of products. I wouldn't buy something like this to mix just window cleaner, but I like the idea of being able to mix all of my products in one place. Sure beats what I do now--buying the largest bottles I can possibly find. Great to see some innovation in this sector...can they invent a robot that can do all my cleaning as well. Like Rosie from the Jetsons?